 The contrasts between themselves and Salthill could hardly be more pronounced - Salthill/Knocknacarra probably has a population going towards 20,000. They could probably field two teams - Carna are hard pressed to have a few subs to spare. So can it only be one result? Well, let's leave the more minute examination of the teams and the football to fellows like Ray Silke on other pages. But, let's say this much -when sweepers of men like Rónán Ó Cualáin, Michael Cloherty, Conor Coyne and others come out onto Pearse Stadium in the black and yellow strip, Carna will look more like the giants than the minnows. From there on in, it's an hour's football and who knows -well, maybe Ray Silke and others. But I am taking some comfort from the fact that Ray did not get it right about the Carna v Glenamaddy semi final! Is it a fair game, though - the parish from the western roughlands of Connemara pitted against the team dubbed as "the United Nations" with star footballems picked from various parts of the county and outside. Well John F Kennedy made famous pronouncements a long time ago about the world not being fair. All sorts of permutations and combinations come Up in the big world and in the world of sport too. However that is no reason for not playing. Anyhow, is it fair that this United Nations tag is penned onto Salthill? City teams and big town teams differ from rural clubs. There are thousands of young people - young footballers among them - coming into work and to live in Galway city. They want to play football and teams like Salthill give them that opportunity. Time will teli whether the long road to Galway will have a happy ending for Carna on Sunday evening ... or if the many well-known footballers who make up the Salthill club will do the business. But Monday could tell another story about roads and it could be very significant for the future of teams like Carna/Caiseal in west Connemama West Galway TDs and Connemara councillors meet the boss of the National Roads Authority in Furbo on Monday wheme they will be discussing the prospects for a new road fmom Connemara to Galway and greater spending on the N59 Galway-Clifden road. Minister Ó Cuiv has now committed for a study on this proposed project out of money available to hlm in the year 2005. He has said that another will be allocated for the study next year. It will hardly be enough; funds will have to corne from other sources for the study. But there is another twist and turn to this road's story that is somewhat baffling - especially to the supporters of the Carna team, most of whom travel the long and twisted road regularily and often ... a 160 km round trip. Galway County Council engineer Martin Lavelle was making a case early in the game as to why the NRA could not embark on such a road directly into west Connemara...getting himself into bot water with county council roads committee chairman Seosarnh Ó Cuaig. Now Minister Éamon Ó Cuív says it should be a new road to Rossaveal - not to west Connemara or to the heartland of the Carna club. Some other politicians seem to be going down the same road and throwing in the towel at Rosaveal. Why? It's hard to know, to be honest. But let's look at some. of the reasons in Martin Lavelle's letter. The road would be going through an SAC. (This is shorthand for bogs taking precedence over much needed roads to outlying communities. ..no matter what way the words are written.) It would be too expensive to build (Oldest story in the book - developments are expensive un Connemara but then they say the place us unique ... that is until it cornes to spending money!). There are not enough people to justify providing a new road to west Connemara - that is past Rosaveal to Screebe, Ros Muc...and giving better access to Carna, Ballyconneely, Recess, etc. (Well now. . .how would there be 'enough' people when the county council planners have a policy of restricting houses there and turning town planning permissions as in the case of 12 houses in Carna village last week?) Certainly if the Carna lads meet as many roadblocks on the road to the Salthill goal next Sunday it will be hard for them to make progress. But they will not be put off any road easily and when it cornes to the final crossroads, there could be fireworks...for real!
But Salthill will want to douse seawater on any impending bonfires on the road to Carna. And even if they do
not quench the gorse fires on Sunday, Salthill seem to have plenty of footballers on the way. Last week the
Department of Education announced that a new school would be built in Knocknacarra to house 550 pupils.
Good luck to them and may they produce the best of....(sic)
Colún Mháirtín Uí Chatháin; Galway Advertiser; 6/10/2005  Baile |
New coast road and N59 overhaul on agenda
A meeting wiII be held in the Furbo offices of the Department Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs next Monday,
October 10 between the Connemara County Councilors, Údarás na Gaeltachta Board Members, TDs and the National Roads Authority to begin
the process of developing a new road from Galway City to Connemara and a comprehensive upgrading of the N59 from Galway to Clifden.
This follows an earlier meeting, on the 28th May last, when the Chairman of the National Roads Authority, Fred Barry, met with Minister
Éamon Ó Cuív and his officiais, but to which Connemara councillors and Údarás members were not invited. Mr. Barry was since approached
at a BMW meeting on behaif of Clir. Seosamh Ó Cuaig, and Mr. Barry expressed his willingness to meet ail the parties who wished
to have an input into the decision process. Among the concems being addressed by some members of Galway County Council is not just the
route the road will take, but how far into Connemara it will go. Údarás member, ClIr Ó Cuaig has pointed out to Glór Chonamara that
a recent press release issued by the Department Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs announced that a grant of
€200,000 bas been sanctioned "for advance design work on a new road west of where the proposed new ring road for Galway
will end, as far as Ros a'Mhíl".
Cllr. Ó Cuaig is concerned that such a projeet would leave major projeets in South Connemara without the vital
infrastucture needed to sustain and grow.
"In Cill Chiaráin and Carna we have a marine park, a marine laboratory and Arramara Teoranta, which is owned by Údarás na Gaeltachta. It is important that Rosaveal Harbour is properly serviced by a new road, but that road should not simply stop there at Rosaveal. If we are going to do something now, then now is the time to do it right rather than regret any shortcomings later." In a separate statement this week, Minister Ó Cuív stated that he believed work would begin on the Galway City outer ring road in 2008, finishing in 2010/11. Councillors will be pressing that work on the new South Connemara road should be well underway before this date and that the Connemara project is flot put aside until the City road is completed.
The need for sufficient funds for advance Environmental Impact Studies, the effect of Iikely routes on SACs will be emphasised at Friday's meeting.
There will also, according to Cllr. Ó Cuaig, be a demand made for "real money" to tackle the N59 which for long bas
been under severe traffic pressure, as have the communities along its route.
Glór Chonamara; 6/10/2005 |
CRUCIAL ROAD
MEETING
By the time Councillors, T.D.s and Ministers sit down in Furbo next Monday morning to discuss the new Connemara Road
Project and strong funding for the N. 59, many people will have travelled the Connemara roads in joy or in dejection to and
from the County Football Final.
If the proposals for the new road were brought to fruition, it would mean a shorter and an casier journey, at least, whether in
joy or in dejection. Now, it's 'down to brass tacks' in Furbo 83 and the case is to be put to the NRA Chief Executive,
Fred Barry.
While the original proposal was for a new road from west
Connemara (possibly
somewhere in the Sereebe area) to Galway city, Minister 83amon Ó Cuiv is now suggesting that the new road would go from
the City to Rosaveal. He has allocated a
for a study and has
promised more.
However, any attempt to stop the project in Rosaveal is expected to meet strong opposition at Monday's meeting. Politicians
such as Michael D. Higgins TD and Noel Grealish ID have stated strongly that the road should be from West Connemara to
the City.
Galway County Council Roads Committee Chairman, Seosamh Ó Cuaig - who bas championed the road project - says that any
attempt to put west Connemara out of the projeet would be "incredible." He says that there are very important marine
projeets in west Connemara and that must be recognized, too. "Certainly, we should link Rosaveal to the new road but the
projeet must be a west Connemara to Galway road."
Councillor Josie Conneely (Fianna Fáil) has previously spoken out strongly in favour of the road being routed from west
Connemara to Galway City and he has called for major funding for the N. 59 -the Galway to Clifden road. However, it is not
clear as to whether other Fianna F89iI Councillors will back that route given Minister Ó Cuív publicily stated preference for
Rosaveal. There are concems in west Connemara at any promise that more would be done later as regards getting the road
further west, as many people further west believe
that "later" could mean never in such circumstances.
An Cúradh Chonachtach; 7/10/2005 |